


A Complex Saviour

by Broba



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Chivalry, Courtly Love, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-03
Updated: 2012-03-03
Packaged: 2017-11-01 02:06:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/350775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Broba/pseuds/Broba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One for a kinkmeme prompt- well, they all are, but anyway- the prompt called for Courtly Love in the medieval tradition, and I was immediately put in minf of Tristan and Ysault, Abelard and Heloise, and the tale of Eliduc which fascinated me a while back, so I thought I'd give it a go.</p>
<p>Courtly love! Dave the good and pure knight! Also, there is romance and whatnot. One of my more historical works.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Complex Saviour

Across the fields of Logres and in the South, where the land rises to the sea in chalky cliffs and the kings of ancient Essex made their forts and their halls, there went goodly knights who in the service of their lords would make war.  
  
In those old times when the High Hall of Colchester still stood the knight David of far Caerleon in the West came to the service of the king in Essex. Good David of the white hair and long stride, fair David of pale arms and firm thews. In the court of Caerleon he had won gifts and title from the king Wynebald who had descended, so it was said, from the Conqueror William the Bastard.  
  
Wynebald covered David in glory and gave him golden cups and rings, and in the eyes of the old king David could do no wrong. For this reason knights who were jealous of him whispered in Wynebald's ear, and spread slanders that David was covetous of the throne in Caerleon himself. So it went that Wynebald commanded David to enter exile and go forth to seek what fortune he may, not to return before five years had passed.  
  
Good David did not give argument when he was so abused, and immediately brought together his goods and chattels. To the church he allotted his lands and worldly possessions, and he brought with him only what he carried with his chamberlain and squire Johnathan.  
  
To the High Hall of Colchester they came. In the misty morning of the autumn David of Caerleon on his charger was a silver vision. As he rode through the town straight-backed and clear-eyed the people remarked, and his purity and virtue were clearly evident. David waited while Johnathan went to the hall to announce him, and he was welcomed into the household. David was given wine and a fine cambric shirt to wear, and he was billeted in the high room in the hall as an honoured guest.  
  
David pledged his sword and his service to the young king Iacobin who was most pleased to welcome him. Even to distant Essex the fame of this knight of Caerleon had spread and David was held in great esteem.  
  
The daughter of Iacobin was called Arleigh, who was known far and wide for her grass-green eyes and her antimony hair. It was said that Arleigh could charm the beasts of the field, and that even the wild wolf would not touch her, instead laying down to allow her passage. Her smile brought peace to the breast of warlike men and for her favour knights had quested across the width of Logres.  
  
In the High Hall where the knights gathered to share tales of their daring and compete in their formal boasting, only David remained silent. He refused to add to his own glory and would only say, "What I have done, I have done," when his turn came to speak. The knights raised their cups to him, for in his modesty he pushed all prideful thoughts from his words and deeds. David left the hall to prayer and his bed, and each night as he departed he bowed gravely to Iacobin and his daughter Arleigh.  
  
As a year passed, the enemies of Iacobin grew resentful of his High Hall at Colchester and gathered their forces. The king knew that the time was coming to make war. He gathered his knights to him and told them this, and the knights all swore their fealty oaths to Iacobin and departed to ready their weapons of war. Iacobin took good David of Caerleon to the side and told him, that as a man not of this country he had no birthright nor lands here, nor did he have men or loadings of war to bring. Iacobin expected no oath of him, and released him from any obligation to war. David took his king's hand and kissed it, and his cross. He told Iacobin that he would lend only his arm and his blade if he had nothing more to give, and that his oath would be held in no less esteem by him then an oath from a born man of Essex.  
  
As the year passed from winter into another summer, Arleigh made reason to visit David when she could, and she knew in her heart that she had a great love for him. David would not see her save that his chamberlain Johnathan were present with them, and nor would he hear her entreaties of love. He told her that his ears were filled up and his heart overflowing, but while he held to his fealty oath he would not betray his first duty to his king.  
  
Arleigh was sore wounded by his rejection, but her ardour was not cooled. In good David only she saw virtue and in his eyes only would she be content. Arleigh resolved to make her troth plain to David and called her maid to her. She took off her belt and gave it to her maid with instructions that it was to pass from her only into the hand of the night in the high room as a token of affection. Her maid swore to obey her and went immediately to David's room. She was met there by Johnathan who saw the belt of the lady Arleigh in the maid's hand. He knew that the love of Arleigh would turn his master away from his duty and begged the maid to go down again, but she would not. Johnathan begged her again not to present the token to his master and instead say that it was lost or taken from her, but the maid would not hear him. A third time Johnathan begged her not to do the will of her mistress in this matter but she refused the good squire and called out to David.  
  
Then when David saw that she bore the belt of Arleigh as a token for him he realised the troth of Arleigh plain in his heart and was struck with a love for her that consumed him. He was smote on the bosom with wroth and a hateful condition, for he knew that he could hold no love in his heart higher then the love he bore for God and his king, but to turn away from the lady Arleigh would shame her in the eyes of the court when she had favoured him with this token. David turned to the Lord for guidance, and sequestered himself in the nearby chapel. He swore that he would not leave the altar there until he had been given leave to do so in a sign from the Lord to him. The chaplain warned him that he was committing a sin in making so bold a demand of the Lord but David would not be swayed in this, and there he remained. Only Johnathan came to visit him with bread and water to sustain his life, and in the court the talk was of the hermit-knight.  
  
As another year passed king Iacobin knew that his enemies were soon to be upon him and drew in his knights to make a war council and raise up an army. Iacobin himself went down to the chapel in order to beg the penitent David to join his cause, for in his heart he knew that David was of all of them the most splendid in virtue and the arts of war.  
  
When he came into the chapel he saw around the waist of David the belt of his daughter Arleigh and knew immediately the pain the smote his favoured knight. He went to David and begged him not to remain. He told David that, if he lent his arm to the fight and saved the High Hall, that he would give unto David his daughter Arleigh to have for his wife, but David refused him explaining thus: if he were to agree to such terms then in the eyes of the world he would be fighting only for the hand of sweet Arleigh and not for the virtue of his cause, and such disgrace would blemish himself forever.  
  
When news came to Arleigh she was distraught that she had brought a good knight to such a pass, and the entreaties of her father could not comfort her. She went alone to her room and called to her maid who alone would minister to her.  
  
The enemies of Iacobin gathered on the fields of Colchester to challenge the High Hall, and the king had no choice but to ride out with his knights to meet them in battle. Knowing that their king was in two minds the knights were becalmed and could not rouse up their passion for war.  
  
In her chamber Arleigh saw the knights riding out and knew that her father was doomed. She looked out and saw a single robin redbreast alight on the thorny vines outside her window. Suddenly the robin pierced itself through the heart on a thorn and fell instantly dead. Arleigh knew that she had been granted a sign, and immediately she called to her maid. She took her pretty knife and cut her arm to draw the blood, and gave it to her maid telling her bring this knife to David, and tell him that fair Arleigh is dead by her own hand so releasing him from her troth. The maid was distraught but swore once again to obey her mistress.  
  
When David was shown the bloody dagger he fell to his knees and tore at his hair in dismay. The maid told him that his lady Arleigh was dead and cold in her room, just as her father was about to fall in battle. Hearing this, David took up his longsword and called for his charger.  
  
As the battle was joined Iacobin was outnumbered and sorely pressed on all sides by the men of his enemies, when the hue and cry went up. David of Caerleon rode then into battle with such a furious speed that none had ever seen, and his silver armours flashed in the sun to blind his enemies. With every stroke of his sword his foes tumbled until his sword at last broke in half, and still David of Caerleon went on and on into the battle, stroking about him like a madman until he was slicked red with gore from head to toe.  
  
When the enemy saw David they fled, for none could say on that day that the Lord was not with him in his vengeance and wroth. The battle was turned in favour of Iacobin but at a terrible cost, when David took a terrible blow to the temple that split his helm. The knights carried red David from the field of battle where their victory was glorious and complete, and bore the best of them aloft on a bier to the High Hall that day. When Arleigh was told that the battle was won her heart soared and she came down into the hall in time to see her David dying on his bier. Arleigh cried out and knelt by him, and kissed his hands and his cheeks.  
  
David turned his eye to her and saw that his beloved Arleigh alive and whole was with him, and behind her the king whose fealty oath had been upheld, and behind the king hung the great cross at the peak of the hall. David closed his eyes and before he expired he said to them "What I have done, I have done."  
  
In the years that came to pass an abbey was built near to the High Hall where David of Caerleon was interred, and the lady Arleigh became the abbess there in order to serve the Lord for the remainder of her days both in penance for her deeds and in recognition of the virtue shown by David in all of his days.


End file.
